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Random Thoughts About Stories...


Kaleidoscope Tekulo

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Reading the same story over-and-over gets boring after a while. I guess that's why I'm not into really mainstream things like Doctor Who or Glee (ugh, I hate that show), Lady Gaga or Harry Potter. I guess that's why I like to read, see and hear other things like Baccano and The Looking Glass (Brandy, you're a fine girl indeed. ^^), Princess Tutu, Cat Laughing Last and it may play a role in why I'm still a member on this site.

 

I'm not saying the popular stories are boring... It's just... well, thinking about it there are several fans of the popular things. It's not uncommon to find a fan of Lord of the Rings or someone who worships Star Wars or Star Trek. It might sound hipster of me to say, but because those stories are so popular they have thousands of people who share common threads. In other words, people share something more in common and it becomes a "norm." It boggles my mind a bit to think so many people could have something like that in common sometimes. It's like they're one small step closer to being the same human, however small the trait they share turns out to be.

 

Consider life to be a story; a story is interesting with the events that take place and the philosophy tied in, respectively. In the mainstream world, hearing the same songs over and over again and seeing the same stories unfold gets a bit... dull, I suppose. Once not long ago I worked at an office where co-workers would play the radio every day for eight hours. Now, where I worked there were around six to seven people working together depending who had the shift that day. One of the employees, when she could have her way, would play a radio station that exclusively played songs including "Moves Like Jagger," "Firework" and other mundane garbage. Though, to be fair, they did also play Adel... once every few hours... Those were the only good songs on the station in my opinion. The radio station, only sporting around a total of ten or so songs, would repeat day after day after day. In other words; I was listening to the same music time and time again. Although I did enjoy a few songs, I would have preferred more variety.

 

Looking at popular culture as a whole, I suppose I view mainstream entertainment as I do that radio: I don't deny that the stories have potential and that I could easily enjoy them. I just prefer to have the many, many existing fans to have their fun in my stead. One less Doctor Who fan isn't going to kill anyone. Oddly enough, I have received some backlash for this way of thinking, however. I was in conversation with a group of my peers once, and I mentioned that I didn't like Lady Gaga. It was then I was attacked with the question "Well, what do you listen to then?!" to which I replied "video game music" as I had been listening to a lot of remixes at the time. The reply was "You're going to limit yourself to that?" The funny thing was, I thought they were limiting themselves to Lady Gaga. XD

 

There was also another incident where one of our older peers (a very kind woman and a great friend) mentioned to the younger generation that she had not read, and didn't intend, to read the Harry Potter series. Like a pack of wolves everyone in the room seemed to pounce for the kill, bombarding her with "OMG, Y U NO READ THE BOOKS?!" and "WHAT?!" the tone was along the lines of blasphemy for just not following the crowd. I chimed in and said that I too had no intention of finishing the series past book four (the last book I'd read as a kid). They seemed to grumble to themselves and quiet down. I was just thankful that they stopped with their prejudice (and over something as trivial as a book series no less XD).

 

So, I suppose that's why I'm not into Stargate or The Avengers and why I have little interest in Batman movies or other things of the sort. There's already quite a following for those titles, and I've heard of those stories before. What catches my eye, when I walk into the store, are strange things I've yet to see. I love being strange and learning new things. I suppose I've seen a Harry Potter fan before, and I have met Lady Gaga fans before. It isn't every day I meet someone else who likes Erik Satie or Dancing in the Moonlight or Princess Tutu or Rin. I love people that I think are interesting and I prefer it if everyone could expand their horizons a bit and let other things define them. Complexity is a wonderful thing, and I just wish people could see the full spectrum of light instead of the shades of gray in the world.

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Agreed, I don't like Harry at all, and I never made it past the forth book as well. =P

 

I can't stand much of this popular music, except Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, if that counts. I don't really know what it is, I just don't like that sort of stuff.

 

However, Avengers and Batman... I really enjoy those. A lot. =P

 

(Also, is the "Rin" you speak of at the end of the Rowan variety? Because, that would be awesome.)

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What can be fun about those "popular" fandoms, though, is when someone new takes over and makes a new story with familiar characters. It's fun to see people take something very beloved and throw their own spin on it. This makes a story evolve.

 

For instance, the Sherlock Holmes stories were published in the late 1800s and is now the most portrayed literary character ever. While that seems like a whole bunch of people jumping on the bandwagon (and, to be fair, a lot of those adaptations are not the best) we do get wonderful stories like the new movies with Robert Downey Jr. (which I know you weren't the biggest fan of due to Irene Adler) and the wonderful (and possibly better) BBC Sherlock, written by the writers of Dr. Who (which I also admit I've never seen, but am considering starting when I have loads of free time).

 

I could list many other examples, but I think this is a good one to place here. Don't close yourself off to something that's popular because there's already a huge following; you may be preventing yourself from seeing something that will captivate you and tells a story you'll fall in love with, even if it's something that's well-known.

 

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@Akano: Haha, if I disliked everything that was popular, then I wouldn't be into things like Ace Attorney or Pokemon. XP Those are stories with fandoms that do appeal to me and that I do find interested. However, others like Harry Potter or the Sherlock movies just don't appeal to me as much. And it's not just because they're popular, but they're just not the right cup of tea to fit my tastes. Some people like Port, others prefer Sherry or Gin, but I like a good Scotch. Not to say I don't like Rum, but it's just not the best one out there.

 

Point is, even though I do like certain things and dislike others, I find there are other stories (which turn out to be oddities more than some of the time) that I find I like a lot better, which are even more interesting and that I shouldn't just force my interests to match what society demands. In other words, thinking outside the box and picking things apart to find out why I like Scotch and why I don't prefer Brandy in its place. It's about looking at your own personal preferences and deciding for yourself what you like and why, not just because it has a large following (I find I like Princess Tutu more than Glee because it covers a part of musical and story culture that's more interesting to me, I dislike the Sherlock movies because the character portrayals don't quite fit to my standards. Honestly, yes, fandoms get annoying, however it's not only a popularity contest with what I enjoy. That is but one factor that alters my taste for stories).

 

@Portalfig: Haha, to each their own. ^^ Also, the Rin I'm talking about is not a part of the Rowen series I'm afraid. It's actually about an immortal detective. It wasn't the perfect story, but I did find it quite interesting.

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:kaukau: I really pay that much attention to the popularity of a subject matter, except for in cases where I believe something I overrated and I think that it contributes to the desensitizing of our culture to shallow thinking.

 

I take a story for what it's worth. In most cases I over-analyze them, which most people say i'm not supposed to do, but I'm big into the idea that everything in life is meant to be interpreted lest you be half dead.

 

I found I like Doctor Who, or at least the eleventh incarnation, primarily because it follows a fairytale storytelling style that I believe in, that complements the way that I visually organize my thoughts, not necessarily because it's popular. Harry Potter, meanwhile, is something I appreciate to a limited extent, but I have never reread the books. They are certainly good books, and J.K. Rowling knows how to create an entertaining story, but they lack the power that other classic works have, like those of Victor Hugo and director Frank Capra, as well as the non-fiction works of C.S. Lewis. I'm ultimately a fan of those things which speak to humanity and the everyman, like Les Miserables and the songs of John Ondresik.

 

This leads into a philosophy that counters to some degree your own. You revel in diversity and complexity, and I'm interpreting your statement about "everyone being the same human" to show a little bit of fear. I see things in the sense that certain stories manage to capture what it means to be human, and no matter who you are you have your humanity as the most fundamental part of your identity that you share with everyone else. So as it happens many are capable of coming together to relate with one. Defining humanity is a very complex task that takes many fictional personalities to represent via metaphors and hyperbole (Spock is just as human as everyone else, but he identifies with his logical nature more). Yet, in spite of the many angles, and in spite of how complex it is to define what it means to be human, actually being human is very simple.

 

One of my favorite fictional characters, by the way, is Superman. His critics call him simple, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. see the simplicity of his emotions and once I think about it, it occurs to me to think, "Yeah, that's me."

 

On another note, I'm fine with Batman to some extent, although I dislike how much his narrative hammers into the viewers "You are like him and he is the quintessential example of the best humanity can be." Bull. I've been there. I've felt the same core drives that he has had in it's a very dark, very sad place. It has isolated me from the world and hurt me. Of course, it is cool to have a flawed character, but the character demands the viewer's worship too much.

 

On the note of The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, the minds behind both of these series had a philosophy of "applicability" and "easy accessibility", respectively. Thus, it makes sense. These works generalize, using universal notions that unify diverse people. Therefore, I understand that large groups of people can be interested in them without necessarily all being the same person (again, I hope I am interpreting your sentiments correctly in how I address this issue).

 

On the subject matter of diversity, I fundamentally agree with you about broadening our horizons. I am personally fine with Lady Gaga,'s music, which is catchy. I'm not a fan, but I appreciate it, just as i appreciate video game music and movie soundtracks, as well as music of all genres. You will also find if you read my movie reviews that I am accepting of most films since I've learned to adjust my mood to match each work, and often attempt to objectively describe the mindset necessary to find entertainment value in the film and what storytelling philosophies it relies on. A large part of entertainment isn't just the storyteller's responsibility, but the viewer's, since it's up to us to define what we find entertaining. That's not to say that there isn't such a thing as bad art - I'm pretty sure Alien: Resurrection was objectively poor - but it's up to the entertainee to realize that objectively good taste is flexible and covers more than one food group. Then there's the junk-food analogue, which mostly covers stories that are self-serving, like my high-school's Mary Sue productions of Beauty and the Beast and Greater Tuna or the movies Pineapple Express and Eragon. I wish could also speak objectively of Zack Snyder's films, but there are enough people who like them that I second-guess my opinions.

 

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Wow, Kraggh, you really are perceptive (then again, I think I've known that for a while. XD).

 

Yeah, I admit the idea of a world where everyone is exactly the same sounds far too boring. In a world where everyone agrees, is peaceful, happy; a world that has no problems or conflicts... well, it just sounds too uneventful and lack-luster to me. Though, on a more realistic scale, people with commonality can be a very beneficial thing. Say a group of people go on a walk to fight a disease. They believe in something and all work towards a common goal. The main downside to that which I see is what I mentioned before; people who don't tolerate anything different and think not watching a movie series is taboo. In reality, all humans do have differences be them physical differences, opinions or philosophies. It seems to be in human nature to react strongly to completely new ideas (the way a cat might react to being tossed into a bathtub. XD. Okay, maybe that's a bit strong of an example. XP). That's why I like a bit of diversity; the more I know about the rest of the world, the less surprised I'll be and the less I'll think other ideas are wrong on impulse. I suppose that's the gist of it anyway and where my fear stems from (though, this is looking far past stories at this point. XD).

 

Anyway, while I do like diversity, at the same time I appear to be limiting myself by not checking out certain genres or well-known stories. Well, I never said I was a perfect human. Gary Stu is far too boring a name for myself. After all, human beings are complex by nature, so I don't expect myself to have a one-track mind. I'll contradict myself time and time again throughout the duration of my life, no doubt about it. (Wait... I think I'm getting a little sidetracked here. XD Back to the story discussion).

 

Anyway, what I've noticed in most super hero themes is that normally there's a love interest and her life is put in danger most of the time. The thing is; I really don't care if her character dies or not (heartless as that may be). Then there's the family to add more suspense and they worry about keeping their loved ones safe as they risk their own lives, then there's their friends and co-workers, and normally the big bad baddy bad makes them choose between their personal life and their duty... Well, that just seems like a recurring theme to me. And don't get me wrong, it's not always a bad set-up, but it just gets old after a while. Even in "Batman the Animated Series" this comes up. Batman has two main love interests; Catwoman and the daughter of this immortal dude (I'm not even going to attempt to spell his name correctly XD). While the personal life of the protagonist is interesting, ultimately that side of the story doesn't go anywhere. Sure, they see each other and they share a kiss between thirty or so episode gaps, but aside from that it just gets old.

 

There are other reasons I'm not interested in super hero movies, but I'll digress for the sake of this poor stretched out page.

 

(By the way, you're actually getting me interested in the eleventh doctor just for that brief "fairytale setting" comment. I love classic fairytales (Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, etc) so you've piqued my interest. XD).

 

Anyway, I guess you could say I over-think a lot (which also leads to over-analyzing), but I like thinking especially when it comes to stories, songs, etc. Basically, if it doesn't get me thinking and it's not a comedy (I love to laugh as much as the next guy), then I generally won't enjoy it as much. It's one of the reasons I liked Les Miserables so much (I've seen a few variations, and I still love the story. I just recently got the first volume of the book a little while ago). I really love how much there is to the story. It seems like you could pick any character and make him or her the protagonist. (Eponine, Gavroche, Cosette, Jean Valjean, Javert; they're all very interesting characters in my opinion).

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... now you had me almost so far as to feel bad for liking Star Trek and Stargate. D: But I won't, for several reasons.

 

I would like to point out that the size of a fanbase varies from place to place. You know, in my area it's already sort of odd to be interested in science fiction series anyway. Most people (at least in my age group) watch things like How I Met Your Mother or The Big Bang Theory or 2 And a Half Men. So that's the mainstream over here. Often, if I mention Star Trek, people will go like "isn't that with Darth Vader?" *gasp*

Nobody knows what a Klingon is, and I don't even dare to mention Cardassians. Therefore over here, I'm actually a minority, yay.

 

The thing is, I don't believe one should actually dislike something only because it is popular.This is also why I actually tried to watch an episode or two of the series mentioned, and you know what: I disliked them. But not for the fact that they're popular. The humor didn't appeal to me (at all. Seriously, even Bionicle TLR was much, much more entertaining. No wait, I actually really enjoyed that movie, nevermind), the characters and overall settings weren't just odd - it seemed like a silly freakshow to me. And I was bored out of my mind.

However, I gave it a try.

Heck, I even gave MLP:FiM a try, and realized that it isn't for me (even though I see why some enjoy it).

 

Music and literature are an even harder topic, though. I haven't listened to the radio for a year or two now, because the music that is played there has never interested me much. The only contemporary music I listen to comes from genres that are not that much the norm.

Yet I know which songs are popular at the moment, because in our society there's no way of escaping it.

 

Having things in common with others, especially interests, is nothing bad. I often wish there were more people who know about Dio, more people with whom I could discuss which era of Black Sabbath was better, whether or not someone can wear Doc Martens with everything, or why mohawks are awesome. (speaking of IRL now)

But even the kids at my school that consider themselves to be dark don't really know of these things. It can be super-frustrating if you're basically the only one on your area interested in something.

 

... that was way longer than intended already. xD

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